AEW Unrestricted

AEW Unrestricted pays tribute to the great Mr. Brodie Lee with an encore presentation of his appearance on the podcast! Tony Schiavone and Ref Aubrey also share some of their favorite memories of their co-worker and friend who was taken from this life much too early. RIP Brodie, an amazing talent and even better human!

It’s a great time to be All Elite, and with so many history-making developments, changes, and announcements at the league in recent weeks, Ref Aubrey Edwards and Tony Schiavone decided a catch-up was in order! They share what it’s been like inside AEW with the arrivals of CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, Adam Cole and Ruby Soho. They speak to AEW Dynamite’s return to the road, and performing for full-capacity crowds. They talk about AEW Dark’s move to Orlando to tape in front of live audiences, collaborating with other promotions and talent, the growth and development of the AEW Women’s Division, and the launches of AEW FanFest and AEW Heels. Plus, you’ll hear their favorite moments and memories from the pandemic era.

AEW Unrestricted dug into the vault and dusted off some of our favorite guests in this special encore episode! Jon Moxley shares his entry into professional wrestling including how he got his ring name! Taz explains the importance of helping younger talent at AEW and recalls the rib that Tony Schiavone pulled during a production meeting during the early days of Dynamite! And Best Friends and Orange Cassidy answer fan questions, most of which are about or for Trent’s mom!

Jon Moxley had quite a collection of wrestling VHS tapes (ask your parents, kids), missed out on Hulkamania, became a Bret Hart fan, and pondered what The Undertaker was really like outside the ring. And those are just some of the stories he's sharing as he talks about his days on the indies, his jump to WWE, and his surprise AEW debut at Double or Nothing! He also recounts his rock bottom moment at WWE, overcoming his recent injuries, and how things really work in his house with wife, Renee Young!

AEW Executive VP, The American Nightmare Cody, talks about the emotional Double Or Nothing match with brother Dustin Rhodes, the one thing that kept going through Cody's mind during that match, and why his Full Gear bout with Chris Jericho was a game-changer for Cody. He also discusses Star Wars vs Star Trek, his Harry Potter house affiliation, the #SternFacedLady who trended on twitter, his stellar high school wrestling career, his back-up plan during his lowest days at WWE, and his father's amazing legacy.

Good Ole' JR, Jim Ross, joins the AEW pod to talk about his early days as a referee for NWA, how he started in the announce booth, and his journey to AEW. He also talks about his love of John Wayne, his upcoming new book, "Under The Black Hat," and he shares some great stories from the set of the 1999 movie about Andy Kaufman, "Man On The Moon."

It’s Tony Schiavone… in the hot seat! And yes, he’s revealing what he knew (and when) about Sting’s AEW debut, the Kenny Omega and Don Callis AEW Championship swerve, what it was like recording commentary for 6-weeks-worth of AEW Dynamite shows in a 24-hour period at the start of the pandemic lockdown, and how it was to share the announce table during that time with Chris Jericho. Tony also recalls his own journey to AEW, the text message he received from Cody Rhodes that got everything rolling, and his first meeting with Tony Khan. Plus, Tony discusses his favorite AEW matches so far, his favorite promos, the young talent he’s most excited to see develop, the recent loss of Pat Patterson, his hair care regime, and his favorite snacks. And he may or may not answer a fan question submitted by one Dr. Britt Baker DMD.

Serena Deeb is the current NWA Women’s Champion, and details what it took to win the coveted title from Thunder Rosa! She also chronicles her journey to AEW, and how signing with the company was the silver lining of 2020. Serena talks the power of yoga and positive thinking, learning from Rip Rogers, and returning to in-ring performance after believing that part of her career to be over. Plus, she shares her Mt. Rushmore of wrestling, her experiences working with CM Punk, and her love of coaching.

Will Hobbs grew up in East Palo Alto, California hearing stories about Pat Patterson, Ray Stevens, and Pepper Gomez, and going to shows at the legendary Cow Palace! He did some training with Booker T, worked the indies, and took a huge chance during the pandemic that ultimately led him to AEW. Will also talks comic books, Venom, Sting’s surprise AEW debut, Arn Anderson and the spinebuster, and why he really wants Team Taz to take on the Inner Circle. Plus, Will answers hard-hitting questions about arm wrestling Wardlow and Brian Cage, his growing iPhone collection, his calorie intake, daytime soap operas, and his favorite game on “Price Is Right.”

Alex Abrahantes is part of the AEW Spanish broadcast team and the manager of former AEW World Tag Team Champs, Lucha Brothers! Alex speaks of his AEW journey, his evolution as manager of the Lucha Brothers, the charisma of Rey Fenix and Penta, and the importance of creating excitement before their matches! He talks about the origins of “Penta Says,” the match Penta had against Cody Rhodes that resulted in Penta’s first-ever promo for AEW DYNAMITE, and Alex’s superhero-style pose in the Luchas’ entrance. Alex shares stories about his introduction to wrestling, training in Calgary with the Harts, his first-ever match, and his transition to broadcasting. Plus, Alex reveals the book that changed his life, what inspired him to start his YouTube show, “All Elite Soup,” and how he started toy hunting with All Ego Ethan Page.

Leyla Hirsch was born in Russia and moved to the United States with her twin sister after they were adopted at 8 years old. Leyla talks about coming to a new country, learning to speak English, what she misses most about Russia, and how she discovered pro wrestling. She speaks to all the things that hooked her into wrestling, convincing her mom to let her try, and giving up her college scholarship to pursue professional wrestling. Leyla remembers her first day training, her first match, wrestling in Germany and Japan, and how all of that led to signing with AEW! Plus, you’ll hear her thoughts on her matches with Hikaru Shida and Serena Deeb, why Eddie Kingston and Bryan Danielson are two of her favorite wrestlers today, and how her amateur career has influenced her in-ring style.

The Pro Wrestling Illustrated 2021 Awards have just been revealed, and it was pretty much a sweep for AEW! From Rookie Of The Year to Wrestler Of The Year to Tag Team Of The Year to Most Hated Wrestler, AEW dominated! PWI Editor-In-Chief Kevin McElvaney and Senior Writer Al Castle join to breakdown the award categories, the winners, the runners up, and share thoughts on why they believe the AEW Women’s Division cleaned up with 4 big wins for the likes of Britt Baker and Jade Cargill, and how Comeback Of The Year could have as easily gone to Sting or Christian Cage as it did to winner CM Punk. They also discuss Indie Wrestler of the Year winner Nick Gage and how AEW may have contributed his win, and share some of the funnier reader write-in “unofficial” awards (like Stooge Of The Year and Hot Tub Time Machine Match) that went to AEW.

Lee Johnson is back at AEW after a six-month injury absence with a rehabbed knee, a new attitude, and new membership in The Factory with QT Marshall. He talks about his first match back challenging Orange Cassidy for the All-Atlantic Championship – and why The Factory is the perfect fit for him. Lee also remembers the whirlwind AEW tapings just before the pandemic lockdown, wrestling Mr. Brodie Lee during those tapings, tagging with Brock Anderson, working on MJF’s campaign staff with Wardlow and Hook, and finally getting signed to AEW. Plus, Lee talks about his Sting super fandom as a kid and what it was like meeting him at AEW. If you check out the video episode on YouTube, you might catch a very cool cameo from Lee’s fiancée.

Kaun and The Embassy captured the ROH Six-Man Tag Team titles last month at Final Battle, and Kaun shares what it means to him to be a two-time Champion. He talks about tagging with Toa Liona and Brian Cage, what he’s learning from manager Prince Nana, and how his wrestling style contributes to the success of The Embassy. He recounts his journey to AEW including his two incredible AEW: Dark matches against Andrade El Idolo and Adam Cole, what Tony Khan said to him after his AEW debut, and why FTR is high on his list of dream opponents. Kaun explains his Cameroonian Royalty heritage, and when and why his father emigrated to the United States. He also details his love of horror movies, tattoos, the Hardy Boyz, and working out, and has pointed messages for both Dalton Castle and the Death Triangle.

The shrimp cocktails are flowing with Prince Nana as he describes what it was like for The Embassy to capture the ROH Six Man Tag Team Championship at ROH Final Battle last month! Prince Nana talks about reforming The Embassy with Brian Cage, Kaun, and Toa Liona, what each man brings to the team, and what else he hopes to accomplish with them. Prince Nana also discusses the art of the wrestling promo, the managers who’ve inspired him, the history of The Embassy, his own royal family in Ghana, and mentoring Private Party. Plus, Nana has thoughts on cocktail sauce, The Embassy’s theme music, and the origin of “huh.”

Will & Ref Aubrey break down their favorite AEW TV matches of 2023 including the Tribute to Jay Briscoe on Dynamite; the FTR vs The Bullet Club Gold Best of 3 Falls on Collision; the BCC-Best Friends Parking Lot Street Fight on Rampage; Bryan Danielson & Rush’s bloody battle on AEW Dynamite Fight Night; Kenny Omega’s return to the ring vs El Hijo del Vikingo on Dynamite; the Kenny Omega-Jon Moxley Steel Cage Match; and the Bryan Danielson-Ricky Starks Texas Death Match on Collision, among many other awesome matches!

Scott Garland is the newest AEW coach and producer, and shares his coaching philosophy and style, and explains what he thinks it takes to successfully work with young talent. He also talks about how he came to AEW, the role that Sonjay Dutt played in that process, and what it’s like to work alongside Tony Khan. He has stories about his own start in wrestling, and transitioning from performer to coach. And he reveals whether a return to in-ring performance is in his future.

East Side Games’ Lead Narrative Designer Jamie Henwood is a former professional wrestler turned video game enthusiast who helped develop the new mobile game, AEW: Rise To The Top. Jamie explains how she got involved in the project, what it was like working so closely with AEW Referee Aubrey Edwards on AEW: Rise To The Top, and why she’s so excited about this new idol battle game. She talks about the animation design, the story beats, and some of her favorite lines and game play moves. She also shares some incredible stories from her days in professional wrestling including what it was like training at the famous Hart Dungeon in Calgary!

Will, Ref Aubrey, and special guest co-host Nyla Rose reveal their favorite matches and moments of 2024, which include bangers from Revolution, Double or Nothing, Full Gear, Rampage, and of course, Dynamite, and feature everyone from Willow Nightingale and Mercedes Mone to Darby Allin and Sting to Hangman Adam Page and Swerve Strickland to Toni Storm and Mariah May. They have some backstage stories, a couple of bucket list moments, a kookoo tag team collab, and another celebration of the current Tag Team Champs Private Party! Plus, Nyla Rose reveals her 16-year-old self’s very interesting (and random) collection!

Serpentico returns to the pod to talk about the many masks, we mean “hats” he wears at AEW. He talks about the work and wrestling he’s doing for ROH, and the recent victory he secured over Sidney Akeem. He has stories about the Spanish Announce Project tag team with Angelico, and his goals once his partner returns from injury. He explains “clearance matches,” and why he’s especially happy to assist with those, how he got involved in coaching and why the Ricochet vs Komander matches is among his favorites as a coach, and what he’s learned about coaching from Jerry Lynn and Dean Malenko. And of course, Serpentico has plenty to say about his love-hate with Nyla Rose!

Anthony Henry is one half of the Workhorsemen tag team at AEW, and he’s just about ready to make his big comeback after two injuries! He discusses recovering from a broken jaw and rehabbing a torn bicep, what it’s taken to work his way back to in-ring performance level, and how two of his four degrees aided in his recuperation. Anthony also shares stories about his friend and tag partner JD Drake, the tag match they had with Sting and Darby Allin, and his plans for 2025. Plus, he has some great backyard wrestling stories, and reveals how The Workhorsemen came up with their gimmick!

Ref Aubrey Edwards and Will Washington are joined by special guest co-host Nyla Rose to break down their favorite AEW Pay-Per-View matches of 2025! They relive Swerve Strickland vs. Ricochet at Revolution, including Prince Nana’s stolen robe, Leslie Jones going crazy at ringside, and the massive pop when everything finally came full circle. The conversation rolls into Dynasty and the wild Kenny Omega vs. Ricochet vs. Speedball Mike Bailey triple threat, and why it’s one of the best three-ways AEW has ever done! They talk the full chaos of Anarchy in the Arena at Double or Nothing including the Pointer Sisters into Drowning Pool, Willow Nightingale stealing the show, forklifts appearing mid-match, and the very real post-match question of “is everyone actually okay?” And they dive into All In Texas, the emotional payoff of Hangman Adam Page vs. Jon Moxley, finally seeing the AEW World Championship again, and why that ending felt so special.

Ref Aubrey Edwards and Will Washington are joined by special guest host Nyla Rose to hand out the first-ever AEW Unrestricted Awards — aka The Undies. From the Ref Bump Hall of Fame and the Only A Mother Could Love Award, to Bloodiest Match of the Year, Most Unexpected Friendship, Hardest Fit, and the chaotic debut of the Nyla Rose Award! Expect laughs, surprises, questionable trophies, and legendary acceptance speeches! It’s the awards and moments you didn’t know needed…until now.

Toa Liona and Bishop Kaun, two-thirds of The Demand, return to break down how everything finally clicked for them in AEW. They talk about finding their true identity as a team, why aligning with Ricochet felt natural, and how being “in demand” has changed their confidence, presentation, and mindset. They dive into four years of tag-team chemistry, lessons learned from New Japan’s World Tag League, and how those experiences reshaped them as performers. They also reflect on their recent high-profile feud with The Hurt Syndicate, the physicality of facing legends, wrestling for the AEW World Trios Titles at Philly’s historic 2300 Arena, and what’s still driving them as they chase gold. Plus, Toa & Kaun open up about evolving their personalities, embracing the spotlight, and why the best of The Demand is still to come.